PITTSBURGH — A passionate plea from Pittsburgh police tonight for mothers and fathers to get involved with their kids and monitor their activities and social media to stop the ongoing gun violence after a 4-year-old girl was shot and killed in Pittsburgh.
Kaari Thompson’s family members say the young girl was vibrant. She was shot and killed while with her mother Thursday night on Lincoln Avenue.
“I am very touched by this tragic situation that occurred yesterday and this 4-year-old baby won’t be able to enjoy the holiday season like any other girl would do,” said Assistant Chief Lavonnie Bickerstaff with Pittsburgh police.
Pittsburgh Public Schools also issued a statement regarding Thompson’s death, saying,
“With deep sadness, we report the tragic loss of Pittsburgh Lincoln Early Childhood student Kaari Thompson, who was killed yesterday in Lincoln-Lemington. Kaari will be remembered as a very loving child, always smiling and passing out hugs. She enjoyed playing in the classroom’s housekeeping section and making pretend food for everyone. She was very bright and an absolute joy to have in class. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.”
At the scene today, neighbors say enough is enough.
“We need to talk to our children. We need to talk to the youth. We need to talk to them and tell them to put the drugs and guns down,” said Derek Scott, who lives near where the shooting occurred. “This is no way to solve any issues that we have going on in the community.”
Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but Channel 11 learned that Kaari’s mother, who was also wounded and is in critical condition, was out on bond awaiting trial on attempted homicide charges. She’s accused of shooting two teenagers in Homewood last August.
Authorities would not say if the mother was targeted, but they urged parents to get involved and monitor their kids and their social media accounts.
“Be aware of what your children are doing because in doing so, you could save your child’s life and a child that is dear to you,” said Bickerstaff.
In a briefing held Friday evening, police said they had gotten a lot of leads, but they are still asking for the public’s help. They did not mention any arrests but said detectives are working hard to identify suspects and get them off the streets.
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